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Plasma 1‐carbon metabolites and academic achievement in 15‐yr‐old adolescents
Author(s) -
Nilsson Torbjörn K.,
HurtigWennlöf Anita,
Sjöström Michael,
Herrmann Wolfgang,
Obeid Rima,
Owen Jennifer R.,
Zeisel Steven
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fj.15-281097
Subject(s) - betaine , methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase , choline , academic achievement , homocysteine , socioeconomic status , psychology , medicine , endocrinology , chemistry , developmental psychology , biochemistry , allele , population , environmental health , gene
Academic achievement in adolescents is correlated with 1‐carbon metabolism (1‐CM), as folate intake is positively related and total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) negatively related to academic success. Because another 1‐CM nutrient, choline is essential for fetal neurocognitive development, we hypothesized that choline and betaine could also be positively related to academic achievement in adolescents. In a sample of 15‐yr‐old children ( n = 324), we measured plasma concentrations of homocysteine, choline, and betaine and genotyped them for 2 polymorphisms with effects on 1‐CM, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR ) 677C>T, rs1801133, and phosphatidylethanolamine N‐methyltransferase ( PEMT ), rs12325817 (G>C). The sum of school grades in 17 major subjects was used as an outcome measure for academic achievement. Lifestyle and family socioeconomic status (SES) data were obtained from questionnaires. Plasma choline was significantly and positively associated with academic achievement independent of SES factors (paternal education and income, maternal education and income, smoking, school) and of folate intake ( P = 0.009, R 2 = 0.285). With the addition of the PEMTrs12325817 polymorphism, the association value was only marginally changed. Plasma betaine concentration, tHcy, and the MTHFR 677C>T polymorphism did not affect academic achievement in any tested model involving choline. Dietary intake of choline is marginal in many adolescents and may be a public health concern.—Nilsson, T. K., Hurtig‐Wennlöf, A., Sjöström, M., Herrmann, W., Obeid, R., Owen, J. R., Zeisel, S. Plasma 1‐carbon metabolites and academic achievement in 15‐yr‐old adolescents. FASEB J. 30, 1683–1688 (2016). www.fasebj.org